H
eaven and Hell doesn’t sound like vintage Sabbath -- the price paid for the theatrical, impassioned style of Ronnie James Dio -- but that it invites the comparison is a testament to the record’s quality. Similar to the guitar/vocal approach of Rainbow, Dio’s previous employer, Heaven and Hell is occasionally clumsy in its mix of melody and mayhem, but is more often successful in finding its own heavy metal voice. “Children of the Sea,” “Heaven and Hell” and “Die Young” are solid entries in the heavy metal canon, even if they lack the murky menace most often associated with Sabbath. Unfortunately, Butler and Ward are relegated to bit players in this production, which seems to sell their estimable talents short. The band’s affiliation with Dio marked a new chapter in the Sabbath discography, with the band no longer influential in its original sense but still capable of delivering an album of enjoyable music. Heaven and Hell became their first original album since Sabbath Bloody Sabbath to go platinum, and while shy of greatness is still consistently good.

BSK 3372 back cover

TRACK LISTING

NEON KNIGHTS 3:49

CHILDREN OF THE SEA 5:30

LADY EVIL 4:22

HEAVEN AND HELL 6:56

WISHING WELL 4:02

DIE YOUNG 4:41

WALK AWAY 4:21

LONELY IS THE WORD 5:49

All songs written by Geezer Butler/Ronnie James Dio/Tony Iommi/Bill Ward